Vitrified-tile conduit



C. GOTTWALD.

VITRIFIED TILE CONDUIT.

PLICATION FILED 1,357,702. I I PatentedNov. 2,1920.

I MNTTE CHRISTIAN GOTTWALD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RIC-WIT;COMPANY,

' 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPURATION 03E OHIO.

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Specification of Letters Tatent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1922 Application filed August 2, 1917. Serial Ito.184,013.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, CHRISTIAN Go'rrwann, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certaln new and usefulImprovement in Vitrified-Tile Conduits, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

T his invention relates to vitrified tile conduits adapted particularlyfor use underground to contain pipes through which steam is carried froma power plant to delivery stations.

The object of the invention is to inexpensively produce a strong,durable, sectional drain-supported vitrified.tile conduit, which shallbe relatively inexpensive'because the parts employed are inexpensive infirst cost, are not liable to be broken, are not liable to be renderedunfit for use because of inequalities in length due to unequal shrinkagein the kilns, and are adapted to be qulckly and inexpensively assembledto form a strong, durable properly drained conduit.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partsshown in the drawings as hereinafter described andpointed out definitelyin the appended claim.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conduit in theprocess of construction which embodies this invention; Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of such a conduit; Fig. 3 is a transversevertical section, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through a part ofthe adjacent end of two base sections showing the holes and dowel pinstherein.

The ronduit, as shown, is made up of a plurality of short lower or basesections 20, and short upper root sections 10, which are supportedthereby, together with means, substantially as shown and described, formaking the joints of the conduit, per 86, water tight. while insuringopen joints between the underlying base drain part of the structure; andmeans to prevent the spreading apart of the lower edges otthe uppersections, whereby said upper sections will more effectively resist thestrains, tending to break them, produced by the superimposed earth.

The upper sections 10 are each 1n the form of a semi-cylinder withouthaving the bell-shaped ends which have heretofore been generally if notuniversally formed on the sectional members of vitrified tile conduits.It is because of the absence from these upper sections of these bellshaped ends that there is less liability that they Wlll be broken inhandling or transporting them, and which renders relatively unimportantsuch variations in size as results from unequal shrinkage.

Each lower or base section 20 is formed with one or more holes 21,through it from end to end. The base therefore comprises the bottommember 23 and the two sides 24 and the top wall 22, which is ofsubstantially semi-cylindrical form, and is disposed with its concaveside uppermost. Along the longitudinal edges of the top wall of thehollow base member are horizontal seats 26 adapted for the support ofthe side edges of the upper conduit sections. Along the outer edges ofthese seats are the upwardly projecting longitudinally extended flanges27. The distance between the inner faces of the said flanges on a basesection is greater than the external diameter of the upper section, sothat when said upper sections are resting with theirconvex sidesuppermost upon the said seats 26, the outer edges of said upper memberswill be inside of but out of contact with said flanges, leaving a gutter33 between them.

Tn the ends of the lower sections are holes 25 for the reception of thedowel pins 30; and these dowel pins carry washers 31 which may be eitherloose thereon or formed as parts of the dowel pin, and which liebetiveen the adjacent ends of the lower sections and in contacttherewith so as to keep said ends properly separated when the dowel pinsare in said holes.

Tn building up a conduit such as is described in a trench which has beendug to hold it, the lower sections are placed in alinement with thedowel pins inthe holes as stated, and with the washers between the endsof said lower sections. This insures open joints between sides andbottoms of the base, so as to permit water to enter the holestherethrough, and be carried away. Tt will be noted that the ends of thetop wall of the base sections are beveled back as at 29 to form Vshapedgrooves between the adjacent ends.

Tt will likewise be noted that the upper convex surfaces of the upperconduit sections 10 are likewise beveled back at the ends at12 to form Vshaped grooves 13 between adjacent upper conduit sections. When lowersections 20 have been placed in proper relation to one another asdescribed cement of proper consistency, or some other filling material,is put into the said V-shaped grooves. Then cement is put upon the seats26, and then upper sections are put in place, as shown, and preferablyso that .the joints between upper sections shall be staggered withrespect to joints between two lower "sections. The ti-shaped groove 13between the two adjacent ends ofthe two upper sections is now filledwithcement or other suitable filling. When the parts have been so placedthere will be a gutter 33 on each side of the lower sections between theupwardly extended flanges thereof and the adjacent parts ofthe uppersections. These gutters are to be filledwith cement or other suitablematerial. When the cement, used as above stated, has hardened it isobvious that the joints between the parts which form the conduit will bewater tight. It is likewise clear that the upper section which as beforestated, is made of brittle vitrified tile, will be able to carry aheavier load of super imposed earth without breakage, because the cementin the gutters referred to will prevent the spreading apart of the loweredges of said upper members.

ean/0a tions which are of the same cross sectional dimensions and shapeat both ends, and a plurality of substantially semicylindrical topsections which are supported on the base sections and are of the samecross sectional dimensions and shape at both ends, each base sectionhaving a top wall which is concave on its upper surface except along theedges where said top wall is substantially horizontal to form seats forsupporting the top section, and is provided with upstanding longitudinalflan es along the outer edges of said seats and said base sections beingdisposed in alinement with water admitting spaces between the parts ofthe ends below said top walls and the ends of said top walls beinrendered water tight by cement joints between them, the lower basesections having in their ends alined holes, dowel pins in said holes toeffect and maintain the alinement of said base sections, saidsemi-cylindrical top sections being ai'rangedin alinement with theirlongitudinal edges supported on said seats inside of but not in contactwith said upstanding flanges, a layer of cement upon each of the abovementioned seats in which the side edges of said top sections areembedded, which cement fills the space between said flanges and thesides of the top members, and cement filling in the joints between theends of the top members whereby there is produced a water tight upperconduit and below that a drain conduit into which water maiy flowfreely.

n testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHRISTIAN 'GOTTWALD.

